Mackenzie Kemnitz #607 The Fight for Ultimate Power The sheer, overpowering feeling of desperately wanting to win

at some point in life- this is human nature. People are competitive. This is the same in Watership Down, a book about a group of rabbits seeking a safe place to live because one of the rabbits envisions danger in their warren. There is some definite tension between two of the rabbits, Hazel and Bigwig, both fighting for the top spot as chief rabbit. That brings up the main question- which rabbit in Watership Down exhibits the best leadership? To begin with, Hazel puts forth so many of the winning qualities that it takes to be a leader. First, he knows the strengths of every one of the rabbits in his group. He always runs his ideas through Fiver, the seer, to make sure that whatever he has planned is the right thing to do. Also, he asks Dandelion, the storyteller, to tell the rabbits one of his fascinating tales of trickery and adventure, whenever they may be worried or scared. Next, Hazel cares about everyone. When Bigwig wanted to leave Fiver and Pipkin behind at the river scene, Hazel stuck by them, clearly unwilling to neglect anyone. Soon after, Hazel dislodged the thorn that was inflicting excruciating pain in Pipkins paw. Lastly, Hazel is calm in the worst of situations. Just as the Sandleford Warren rabbits were leaving, Holly threatened to arrest Bigwig, one of the strongest fighters of the group, and Hazel merel y said, Go, or we will kill you. Therefore, Hazel is an excellent leader because he is very tranquil when the rabbits are in peril and knows the best solution for each problem that comes about. This helps him to give good orders, keeping in mind the individual strengths of each rabbit. On top of all of this, he has the attitude that every single member of their gang matters, even the ones with the weaker talents. On the other hand, Bigwig is very much like the Greek god Hercules, also a major leader.

First of all, Bigwig is a diehard fighter. During the nearly hopeless situation of rescuing does from a jail-like warren called Efrafa, Bigwig attacked the hardy guards and escaped with many does. Second, Bigwig is extremely courageous. He traveled to Efrafa by himself, knowing it was dangerous, and successfully reached his goal. Third, Bigwig is persistent. In Efrafa, the established plan didnt work out. So, Bigwig had to improvise by creating a new plan right on the spot, rather than giving up. Then, Bigwig took Blackavar, a mutilated rabbit that had been severely punished for trying to escape, on the journey back to Watership Down. Even though the mission was to get does, Bigwig couldnt stand to leave poor Blackavar behind. Therefore, Bigwig is a great leader because he can defend all of the rabbits, and attack enemies. Bigwig is very brave and wont back down no matter what happens. He will fight to the death for what he believes is right. Finally, I believe that the many qualities of Hazel, in the end, outbalance those of Bigwig. Bigwigs violence and rough nature just dont add up to the highest standards of leadership. In conclusion, Hazels knowledge of the rabbits importance and usefulness helps him to give good orders when the rabbits are in jeopardy, while keeping his cool. These traits make the perfect chief rabbit.